Honest Review of Grand Palladium Resort and Spa With a Baby
Honest Review of Grand Palladium Resort & Spa – Punta Cana with a Baby
Every year, my husband and I celebrate our anniversary by taking a weeklong trip together. This year, we headed to beautiful Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and stayed at the Grand Palladium Resort & Spa.
Overall, we had a wonderful time and made so many great memories. Like any resort, though, it had its share of highlights and a few drawbacks. Since we were traveling with our baby, I wanted to share our honest experience—including what we loved, what could have been better, and whether we’d recommend it to other families considering a stay here.
The Resort
When we were booking our trip, I was a little confused by all of the different Grand Palladium resorts listed in Punta Cana. After doing some more research as our trip got closer, I realized they’re actually multiple hotels located within the same resort complex. Once I understood how it worked, it made much more sense—and it’s something I wish I’d known from the start.
One of the biggest advantages of this setup is that, regardless of which Grand Palladium hotel you’re staying in, you have access to the shared amenities throughout the entire property. This includes several pools, a beautiful beachfront, and a wide variety of restaurants, giving you plenty of options throughout your stay.
One thing that really stood out to us was the staff. Everyone we interacted with was incredibly friendly, welcoming, and genuinely seemed to enjoy interacting with our baby. The resort also felt very family-oriented, with plenty of other families vacationing there, making it a comfortable and relaxed environment for travelers with young children.
The Room
Overall, the room was nice, but I do think the photos online set my expectations a little higher than what we actually walked into. We booked a Garden Swim-Up Suite, which ended up being about a two-minute walk from the beach—close enough to be convenient without all the noise from the main beach area.
The biggest downside of the room was the air conditioning. Whether it was broken or simply couldn’t keep up with the Dominican Republic’s heat and humidity, the room stayed warmer than we would have liked, even overnight. Thankfully, there was a powerful ceiling fan directly above the bed that made a noticeable difference. I have a feeling it’s there for exactly that reason.
If you’re traveling with a baby (or honestly, even without one), I highly recommend bringing a portable stroller fan. Ours clipped onto both the crib and strolle/r, and we ended up using it constantly throughout the trip.
Without a doubt, our favorite feature of the room was the swim-up pool. Being able to step right outside our patio and into the water made relaxing so easy, especially with a baby. We spent countless hours floating around with her in her pool float, and it quickly became our favorite part of the vacation. The swim-up pool is shared with a few neighboring suites, so it’s not very large, but it never felt crowded and was the perfect size for a relaxing swim with our little one.
The Food
If there’s one area where I think the resort could improve, it’s the food. It certainly wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t a standout part of the trip.
For breakfast and lunch, the only dining options were buffet-style restaurants. While there was a decent variety of food, the menus didn’t change much from day to day, so things started to feel repetitive after a few meals. Breakfast included the typical American favorites like bacon, sausage, eggs, and pastries, along with fresh fruit and a selection of traditional Dominican dishes. Lunch usually featured items like pizza, burgers, pasta, and rotating options such as sushi, Asian-inspired dishes, and other local specialties.
Dinner was a much better experience. The resort has several à la carte restaurants, but reservations are required, so I highly recommend booking them as soon as you arrive. Our concierge helped us make all of our reservations on the first day, which made the rest of the week much less stressful. The quality of the food at the specialty restaurants was noticeably better than the buffets, and our favorite meal of the trip was at the Indian restaurant.
Traveling with a baby, we were pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to find foods she could eat. There was always a good selection of fresh fruit, vegetables, eggs, and avocado, so we had no trouble putting together balanced meals for her. We packed our food blender just in case, but we only ended up using it a couple of times since many of the foods were already soft enough to mash with a fork.
Activities
Since we were traveling with our baby, we kept our itinerary pretty simple. Most of our days were spent relaxing by the pool or enjoying the beach, and honestly, that’s exactly the kind of vacation we were hoping for.
If you’re looking for activities, the resort does have complimentary kayaks and paddleboards that guests can take out on the water. There are also vendors walking along the beach offering excursions like parasailing, snorkeling, and glass-bottom boat tours.
Before our trip, I spent quite a bit of time researching excursions that would be suitable for a baby. I found that there weren’t many options for families with infants, especially because most excursions lasted several hours. The one activity that seemed the most baby-friendly was Monkeyland, but since our daughter was still taking three naps a day, we decided it wasn’t worth disrupting her schedule. Instead, we embraced a slower pace and focused on relaxing—and I have absolutely no regrets about that decision.
Aside from our swim-up pool, we spent most of our time on the beach with our daughter in her beach chair, enjoying the ocean breeze while she played and relaxed. One thing I really appreciated was that the resort never felt overly crowded. Whether we were at the pools or the beach, we never had trouble finding chairs or enjoying the amenities without feeling packed in with other guests.
Airport Travel
One of the nice perks of staying at the resort was the complimentary airport transportation, which made getting to and from the hotel very easy. Since the shuttle ride was the only time we planned to be in a vehicle during our trip, we decided not to bring our daughter’s car seat. Instead, my husband held her on his lap during the ride.
We spent quite a bit of time researching this decision beforehand and found that many other families who had traveled to Punta Cana made the same choice. If we had planned on taking multiple excursions or using taxis throughout the week, we definitely would have packed her car seat. But because we were staying at the resort the entire time, it didn’t seem worth bringing the extra bulky item.
That said, this is a personal decision that every family has to make based on their own comfort level. In our experience, the drive between the airport and the resort was smooth, traffic wasn’t too heavy, and the driving felt much calmer than in some other countries we’ve visited.
Overall, we had a wonderful trip and made so many special memories as a family. While we truly enjoyed our stay, I’m not sure I would choose this particular resort again if we returned to Punta Cana. With so many all-inclusive resorts to choose from, I’d be interested in trying another property next time.
That being said, I think a lot of my opinion comes down to one thing: the food. I’m a huge foodie, and one of my favorite parts of traveling is experiencing great meals. Since the breakfast and lunch options were fairly repetitive and the buffet quality didn’t quite meet my expectations, it left me wanting a little more. The specialty restaurants for dinner were much better, but I wish the daytime dining had been on the same level.
If you’re looking for a relaxing beachfront vacation with friendly staff, multiple pools, a beautiful beach, and a family-friendly atmosphere, I think the Grand Palladium is a great option. If you’re someone who prioritizes incredible food as part of your vacation experience, you may want to explore some of the other resorts Punta Cana has to offer.
For our family, the relaxing atmosphere, time spent together, and watching our daughter experience the beach for the first time made this trip unforgettable—and those memories far outweighed the few things we would have changed.
